A centuries-old persimmon tree in northern Vietnam produces three distinctly shaped fruits, but for the Muong villagers living beneath its canopy, its greatest value lies in the generations of memories it preserves.
In Du Village, Xuan Dai Commune, Phu Tho Province, the ancient tree stands among the homes of the Muong people.
The ancient persimmon tree casts its broad shade over a Muong village in Phu Tho Province. Photo: Duc Hoang
Its broad canopy spreads over the village, while its massive trunk bears unmistakable marks of age, with rough bark and deep hollows.
Residents affectionately call it “cu thi,” or “the venerable persimmon tree,” a name reflecting the bond generations of villagers have formed with it.
No one knows exactly when the tree first took root here.
Village elders recall only stories passed down by their grandparents: even when earlier generations were still herding buffalo and cutting grass as children, the tree was already standing in the middle of the Muong village.
Rough bark, knots and natural growths cover the trunk of the centuries-old tree. Photo: Duc Hoang
Over the centuries, it has become part of both the landscape and the cultural life of the Muong community in Xuan Dai.
Time has left its imprint across the tree.
Its bark is coarse, with numerous natural knots and growths, while cavities extend deep into the wood.
The trunk is so large that it takes four adults with outstretched arms to encircle it.
From its enormous base, the tree rises more than 20 meters, with a canopy shading a wide area in the heart of the village.
Ha Luong Thien, former vice chairman of the former Xuan Dai Commune People’s Committee, said residents estimate the tree to be around 300-400 years old based on stories handed down through generations.
One tree, three shapes of fruit
The ancient tree has become part of the landscape and cultural memory of the local Muong community. Photo: Duc Hoang
What makes the ancient tree particularly unusual is that three of its branches produce fruit with three different shapes.
According to Phung Thanh Minh, a local resident familiar with the tree, when fruiting season arrives, one branch produces what villagers call “thi ong,” or “male persimmons” - large, elongated fruit.
Another produces “thi ba,” or “female persimmons,” which are evenly rounded.
A third branch bears smaller, flatter fruit known locally as “thi bet,” or “flat persimmons.”
Three shapes of fruit, all growing from the same trunk.
The unusual characteristic has led villagers to describe it as a “three-line” persimmon tree.
When the fruit ripens, local families often ask for a few to take home and place indoors.
The tree in Du Village was recognized as a Vietnam Heritage Tree in 2017. Photo: Duc Hoang
The distinctive fragrance of the ripe fruit has become part of the memories of generations who grew up in the Muong village.
Stories surrounding the tree have also been handed down from one generation to the next.
Local tradition holds that people may ask for ripe fruit but should not break branches or otherwise harm the tree.
While rooted in folk belief, the custom also reflects the community’s longstanding commitment to protecting the ancient tree.
For residents of Du Village, caring for “cu thi” involves simple practices: keeping the area around its base clean and avoiding damage to its trunk and roots.
Year after year, the tree has continued to flower and bear fruit while witnessing generations of change and development in the village around it.
In 2017, the Vietnam Association for Conservation of Nature and Environment recognized the tree in Du Village as a Vietnam Heritage Tree.
The designation formally acknowledges the ancient tree’s value.
For the Muong people of Du Village, however, “cu thi” carries a more intimate significance: it preserves memories of their village, the homes that once stood beneath its shade and countless seasons filled with the fragrance of its ripening fruit.
Vietnamnet.vn
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